72 U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 217 



semipalniated sandpipers bank and glide swiftly througli their turns. 



The faint sweet song of these two sandpipers has brought their 

 similar Nunamiut names. Liva livaurak means "smaller Liva liva''' 

 and designates the least sandpiper. Its liva liva song is repeated more 

 faintly and more rapidly than that of the semipalmated sandpiper. 

 Like its mothlike behavior in flight, Liva livauraJc's song reminds me 

 of an insect call, while that of the semipalmated sandpiper has the 

 qualities of a frog's call. The liva liva song may be given from the 

 ground or from high in the air, but I have never with certainty seen 

 more than one Liva livaurak at a time calling in flight. 



A female examined June 5, 1949, contained an ^gg about ready to 

 lay, but I have no other observation related to nesting. 



Least sandpipers are more numerous in spring than later and a con- 

 siderable number fly on northward. They are less conspicuous and 

 more retiring birds than the larger sandpipers, less common in sum- 

 mer than semipalmated sandpipers and probably fewer than Baird's 

 sandpipers. Nevertheless they are common and familiar birds which 

 the Nunamiut like for their song. 



Erolia alpina pacifica (Coues) 



1 female June 10, 1954 weight 58 g. — — 



On May 14 and May 16, 1949, Thomas Brower reported seeing a 

 red-backed dunlin. Because these distinctive sandpipers were familiar 

 to us at Barrow his sight record is considered certain. On June 2, 

 1952, Simon Paneak saw one at Summit and on June 5 I thought I saw 

 one in flight, but these were both short views and they are uncertain 

 evidence. On June 10, 1954, Simon Paneak obtained the specimen. 



The example had little fat and its eggs, at 4 mm. in length, were 

 just starting to develop. These sandpipers are so distinctive in ap- 

 pearance and so familiar to our view on the arctic coast that the few 

 records in the mountains show that dunlins rarely alight in Anaktu- 

 vuk. The evidence does not show the use of Anaktuvuk as a regular 

 migratory path and at present I regard the birds recorded as visitors. 



Limnodromus scolopaceus (Say) 



21 males May 23-Juiie 3 weight (28), 90-114, 



average 100 g. 

 10 females May22-Juiie3 weight (11), 93-119, 



average 109 g. 



Pitelka (1950) gives as mean measurements for the long-billed 

 dowitchers, which he designated Limnodromus scolopaceus, the fol- 

 lowing : males — wing 139, culmen 62 ; females — wing 144, culmen 72. 

 Our dowitchers agree closely with these measurements. 



The mean weight of birds of this race taken in spring and fall in 



